Natural resources such as gas, oil, minerals, and water residing in a subterranean formation can be recovered by drilling wells into the formation. The fluids in the subterranean formation are driven into the wells by, for example, pressure gradients that exist between the formation and the wells, the force of gravity, displacement of the fluids using pumps or the force of another fluid injected into the wells. The production of such fluids is commonly increased by hydraulically fracturing the subterranean formations. That is, a viscous fracturing fluid is pumped into a well to a subterranean formation at a rate and a pressure sufficient to form fractures that extend into the formation, providing additional pathways through which the fluids can flow to the wells.
The fracturing fluid is usually a water-based fluid containing a gelling additive to increase the viscosity of the fluid. The gelling additive thus reduces leakage of liquid from the fractures into the subterranean formation and improves proppant suspension capability. The gelling additive is commonly a polymeric material that absorbs water and forms a gel as it undergoes hydration.
In certain applications one or more foaming surfactants are added to the fracturing fluid. A gas is mixed with the fracturing fluid to produce a foamed fracturing fluid, thus ensuring that the pressure exerted by the fracturing fluid on the subterranean formation exceeds the fracture gradient (psi/ft.) to create the fracture. The foamed fracturing fluid is injected by foaming the fracturing fluid with nitrogen or carbon dioxide. The foaming composition containing one or more surfactants facilitates the foaming and stabilization of the foam produced when the gas is mixed with the fracturing fluid.
After a fracturing fluid has been used to form fractures in a subterranean formation, it is usually returned to the surface. It would be desirable to have the ability to recycle the fracturing fluid to form additional fractures in the same subterranean formation or to form fractures in one or more different subterranean formations. Frequently, foamed fracturing fluids are not suitable for recycling. In the recycling operations it is desirable to have a fracturing fluid to be without foam for ease of operation. These recycling operations require addition of defoamer to the fracturing fluids to decrease the foaming and ease of operation.
Alternatively, the pH of the fracturing fluid may be changed to obtain defoaming during recycling conditions. However, this approach is susceptible to pH fluctuations and if the pH is changed back to the high foaming state, the fracturing fluid will foam again and severely hinder the ease of recycling operation. U.S. Patent Application No: 2004/02006616 to Chatterji et al., Oct. 14, 2004, describes cationic tertiary alkyl amine ethoxylates and its mixtures with anionic and amphoteric compounds which can be foamed at pH greater than 9 and defoamed at pH less than 6 or foamed at pH less than 6 and defoamed at pH greater than 9.
U.S. Patent Application 2003/0207768 to England et. al., Nov. 6, 2003, describes a foaming well treatment fluid comprising an amphoteric surfactant. The objective of this patent is to use surfactants that have good wetting characteristics in the presence of coal and be effective foaming agents. Also the recycling of the foamed fracturing fluid is obtained by lowering the pH of the fluid. However such systems are susceptible to pH variations. In addition, adjustment of pH involves additional steps in the recycling operations and usually pH adjustment involves addition of acids that are not desired in terms of environmental acceptability.
It is desirable that the fracturing fluid does not foam in the fracturing blender or at any stage before it without the change of pH and/or addition of defoamer. Further, a foaming composition that foams initially but will be substantially less in foam stability after time is highly desirable for recycling operations. Typically a foaming composition that will foam initially and after about 24 hours to have low foam stability is suitable to facilitate processing.
Accordingly, there is provided a foamed fracturing fluid comprised of water, a self-degrading foaming composition comprising one or more surfactant. The foamed composition will foam initially but will have reduced foam stability when the fracturing fluid is recovered during flowback.